The Sixth Soul
by LilyLikesTales
Summary: Most know what became of Frisk and their soul after they entered the Underground, but what happened before Frisk arrived? What happened to the last soul Asgore collected? How did the last human... the last SOUL... impact the monsters of the Underground? Find out in The Sixth Soul! **WARNING: THIS FANFIC CONTAINS FANMADE CHARACTERS**
1. Prologue

The Surface

(Prologue)

Brittle brown leaves crunched underfoot as the woman came to stand at the edge of the crevice at the peak of the mountain. Cold air kissed her mottled skin and she smiled ruefully to herself, admitting to herself that this cold desolate mountain was the perfect setting for her passing. All she saw below her was darkness, its pitch black jaws patiently waiting to swallow her up. However, unlike most humans, it did not look unwelcoming to her. There seemed to be no end to the shadows hiding whatever the bottom may harbor within. It was a mystery with only one way to solve it, and she could not be happier to be that sleuth.

The day had been painfully long; after waking up long before the sun, she had taken her ancient rusted bike, packed what was dear to her, and left the vast metropolis she called home. As she journeyed the streets, sprinkling rust in her wake, she creaked to a stop at the stairway of an apartment building. She stared toward the upper levels until her eyes rested on an empty balcony, illuminated faintly by a flickering light pole. Would he miss her? Would he call when she did not come in morning to cook for him? Whatever happened, she could care less now; she placed her feet to the decrepit pedals and soldiered on. If he had cared enough to tell her weeks- no, months ago, she would be in bed still today. When he went looking for her today he would find no trace of her, nor would he ever; her apron was tied snugly around her waist and her frying pan dangled from her backpack, which was jam packed full of clothes, books, provisions and several other miscellaneous items associated with herself. She was almost sure that she wouldn't be needing her things, but she would be damned if she let him keep her things after she was gone. As if he cared.

By the time she arrived at the foot of the mountain the sun was beginning its descent. She'd observed the foreboding peak with little to no uneasiness about what she was going to do next. She'd heard things about the place, and none of the gossip traveling from person to person were at all benign. Rumors often circulated her part-time job, and from behind the stove, through the clouds of steam and the thick smell of cooked food, she heard the whispers.

" _They were all sealed away there."_

" _Are they all dead?"_

" _Dunno, but people who go there… they never come back."_

" _Do they eat people?"_

" _Maybe, they killed humans years ago, who's to say they've stopped? All I know is that humans go up there, and nothing comes down here."_

As much as many people tried, be it making excuses, denial, or switching subjects, the rumors were all true. The war between monsters and humans, occurring long before she was born, had resulted in the banishment of the creatures. They'd been sealed away in mountain by the best magicians, trapping them beneath the Surface. Though there had been no notification of their presence since being enclosed in the fissure of a prison, most were almost certain there was something living underneath. After all, why would there be random incidents circulating the mountain? People of various ages and backgrounds went missing without a trace; who could everyone blame BUT whatever resided underneath?

With tales like these, she couldn't think of a place more perfect. Stepping off her bike, letting the battered thing fall to the bed of dead grass on the ground, she began her long trek up to the fabled entrance. As she maneuvered through the trees and dense undergrowth, she was dismayed at the feeling of her thoughts melding together; she did not want to reminisce on her last memories. She wanted it to be over. No matter how hard she tried to take her mind off everything that had happened in the past year, like trying to comfort a lamb before its slaughter, it was futile. Why had it happened? It wasn't just her who asked this question; several… ALL humans, be it past, present or future had wracked their brains for the answer. It was a problem that never got an answer, for the solution could only be ruminated alone in tranquil solitude. So she did as leaves and sticks crunched softly under a pair of worn brown sandals; screw the autumn chill, not like it mattered.

As she neared the peak, she pondered it alone on the high altitudes, the questions being tossed around furiously in her mind. Why had it happened? Why did it have to be this way? Why did no one tell me until it was too late? Why did I have to remain instead? _Why did she have to die? It's not fair, it's not fair, it's not FAIR._

Sans's eye sockets shot open, left socket flickering a violent electric blue. Had it been his imagination? It couldn't be, right? Maybe it had been another dream… maybe he should listen to his brother's incessant nagging and quit sleeping on the job. But how could he? He'd felt this before, not too many times but enough to become accustomed. Not again right? Not so soon after the last, it couldn't be, it just couldn't.

Yet he felt the next sign. To most monsters, they would have felt nothing and gone about their business. To Sans, it was like a vicious quake, unforgiving and frenzied, shaking him down to the core. He caught his breath, gripping the edge of his sentry post with a frigid bony hand. He steadied himself, his eye socket flashing aggressively; the spasms of pain in his skull were overwhelming, causing his ghoulish grin to even falter. There was no denying it; it wouldn't come now but he had felt it arrive. Something had fallen into the ruins.


	2. 01

01

The Ruins

" _Ribbit_."

She smiled as the little creatures as she passed them by, shaking her head and chuckling. The Froggits were sounding more and more convincing with each passing day. Maybe, if an actual frog fell down here, they could have some practice.

" _Or even better, I could teach them myself..."_

The mere thought of education brought joy to the monster's heart as she turned off yet another puzzle. She always loved the idea of being a teacher, and she'd eagerly awaited the day she could begin teaching her own children. As quickly as the joy had arrived it fled. She frowned sadly now, disengaging the another puzzle and taking a deep breath. Those days were done, her children gone, and now she spent her days in solitude in a small cottage deep within this dark world. It'd once been hers; she'd shared it with another. But after the incident… after having all that she held dear to her the most torn away from her in one night… after he changed for the worse… she couldn't bear to do it anymore. And so she retreated, deep into the Ruins where he would never find her ever again, where NO ONE would ever find her again. She promised. She'd promised herself: no more bloodshed. No more humans would die at the hands of monsters. There had to be another way. There must be.

" _Momma…_ "

She blinked, her breathing getting shaky, as it all came back to her. She covered her mouth, remembering her children. Their smiles. How they played in the garden. It all happened too fast for her to react. Her daughter went first; she fell ill, and there was nothing anyone could do. She died within the course of a week. Then, as if it couldn't get worse for her and her husband, her son disappeared, along with her daughter's body. Later that evening, he came into the garden before the thrones and collapsed, letting her lifeless daughter's body tumble from his arms. He was injured badly, tears flowing from his eyes as his grief-stricken parents hovered over him, wailing at the sight of their maimed offspring. She had stroked his bruised face, letting her tears fall as her husband held her, his face stricken with utter despair.

" _Mommy… Daddy… Somebody…Help…"_ the small monster whimpered. Before she could say or do something, ANYTHING, his physical form trembled violently and exploded into dull gray dust, powdering the golden flowers sprouting in the garden.

After they had passed, her loving calm mate seemed to change completely. His gentle demeanor became surly to her dismay. His attention turned to the humans; if it weren't for them his children would still be alive, right? He addressed the other monsters, who had fallen into a state of depression almost as worse as the couple, and made a promise. He could collect human souls and when he gained enough power he would free them all. The citizens were skeptical about the idea, but after the first soul was harvested, a new hope sparked beneath the Surface.

For her, it was sheer horror; while other monsters never witnessed the harvest, she had a front row seat. She'd seen it all, from the time the tiny human child wandered into the throne room. They were so tiny, a red ribbon in their wispy blonde hair, a toy knife in their soft grubby hand, and a gap-toothed smile. They didn't even get a chance to move. Their head rolled before they had time to grasp the magnitude of their situation; a flash of scarlet-orange, and he had slain the first human. The head had stopped at her feet, its mouth open in shock, the amiable smile wiped clean off their face. He was breathing heavily, but he straightened up, pressed his trident against the chest of the headless body, and extracted an aquamarine soul, trapping it in a glass container. She screamed.

It was on that day that she'd left him. She wouldn't stand for this; she'd married a gentle giant, but he'd turned into a beast. This was not the solution; brutal violence and remorseless bloodshed were never the answers. She promised herself she'd protect them. She'd promised. This was why she'd come here, to the deepest part of the Underground. To protect whatever came in. To prevent more humans from being killed by her… no… the true monster.

Now, she sighed as the approached the last puzzle. It had been futile; after coming her and settling it (it had been no trouble, thanks to her magic), four other humans had passed through, and each one had left her. After they left, they died, one after the other, dropping like weak mindless flies. Their professions, their age, even their strengths were all meaningless as soon as they passed her barrier. All kinds of humans passed her by; a young boxer, a journalist, a lost child dressed as a cowboy, an aged ballerina. All of them perished at the hands of him, and all of their souls had been harvested by him. She was sure of it, as they never returned. Would she ever be able to save ANYONE?

As she passed through the last door, making her way through the sparse undergrowth, she thought she'd heard something. It might have been her imagination, and she let her floppy white ears twitch, trying to put her paw on the sound. Then she heard it again, seemingly becoming more pained with every step she took forward. Now she knew her ears weren't deceiving her.

" _Momma… Momma…It hurts…_ " something or maybe someone was crying out at the entrance of the Underground. Did a Whimsum or a Loox get hurt? Vegetoids did pick on Whimsums when she wasn't around, and Loox often spent time alone for fear of being picked on for looks. As she got closer, she made out a large crumpled heap that looked not at all monstrous. It was trembling severely, and when she came to look over the heap of flesh she stopped dead in her tracks. It wasn't a Whimsum and it wasn't a Loox. It wasn't a monster at all. It was a human. A human girl.

The girl was the most peculiar human than any she'd ever seen. The poor thing was dressed in a green work shirt spotted with grease and ugly army green shorts. Around her waist was a surprisingly clean apron colored red and white, the ends tied in a neat red bow. Tied about the human's head was a hot red bandana, and on its feet were a pair of beat up brown sandals. A maroon backpack was strapped to the girl's back and a water bottle strapped in the side had burst and was now trickling water down onto the Underground floor. When she knelt down beside the human to get a closer look, she was intrigued by its skin. The primary color seemed to be a light mocha brown, but from its head to its toes were patches of pinkish white skin. They were everywhere, from its brawny thighs to its delicate fingertips to even its cheeks and small potato of a nose. Thick dirty blonde hair bloomed from beneath the human's bandana, with two gold earrings gleaming beneath the mess of unkempt hair. However, what surprised her most were the human's eyes, or the one eye she could see at least. Lying on its side, the human girl's eyes were nearly closed, but the little she saw in its eyes was a brilliant shade of purple.

"H-help… Please… Anyone…" the human moaned. As interesting as the human looked, when she rolled it over its right arm was twisted in an irregular position. Crimson blood ran like rivulets down its arm, and its forehead bore a deep gash surrounded by purple blue bruises. She winced and stroked the human's head; its breathing was painfully shallow and its eyes were quickly going hazy. If no one did anything it would-

" _It'll die."_ She flinched at the sudden ghastly voice, and whipped her head around, looking for the source, but all she could see were patches of grass and small gold flowers beginning to grow. As much as it had shocked her, the voice was right; the human would succumb to its wounds if it wasn't treated. The only one who could do that would be-

" _You."_ But how could she? If she healed the human, it might abandon her and if it did that it would eventually encounter him and… On the other hand, if she didn't lift a finger the human would die in her lap. Either way, the human would die and would be all her fault. She stared grievously at the delicate body; this human was still a budding flower, older than a child but a bit younger than an adult. She could teach it so many things about the Underground and take care of it like it was her own child. If she tried hard enough, maybe she could save it from him.

The voice came back with a blood chilling vengeance. " _Save that thing? Please. You old fool. You've lost so many humans to that husband of yours. What makes you think you can save this one? You weak old goat. No matter how hard you try, they'll die and die and die. Until he releases the monsters onto the surface and KILLS THEM ALL."_

She shuddered at the thought; the eradication of all humans. The Surface being overrun with monsters blinded by unneeded rage and hatred would wipe them all out if it continued this way. But maybe… just maybe… She stared down at the human. Perhaps it didn't have to end in a mess of gore and desperation; maybe this human could save them all if she could just guide it.

"M-maybe you're right," she said somberly, taking the human in her arms. "But it doesn't mean I can't try to change the outcome. I could do it. I could save her, and the entire Underground, maybe the whole world. We just have to stay determined."

She could actually feel her spine tingle as loud eerie laughter split the air. " _YOU?! A FRAIL OLD MESS LIKE YOU? LADY YOU'RE A LAUGH! I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW CLOSE MINDED YOU ARE! You know what? I think I'll stick around. This is so much more interesting than offing that weak thing. Good luck… You'll need it… Toriel."_

Toriel felt a tremor shake her as she actually felt the other presence disappear, but shook her head. She would prove whatever doubted her wrong. They both would; she smiled, and looked down at her new pupil. The girl was now fullyl awake it seemed, befuddled but stable. She stared up at Toriel as if the fact that she was a monster didn't faze her. Then the girl spoke.

"This… this is all very strange… Where am I miss…?" she said slowly, wincing with each word. Her voice was soft and gentle, the fact that she fell into the Underground was a wonder to Toriel; usually when a human ended up they had had previous knowledge of Mt. Ebott.

"All will be explained in due time my child," Toriel replied softly, giving the human a fanged but gentle smile. "Worry not, for I will take good care of you… uh…"

"Anise miss…" the girl answered, smiling weakly. "I don't remember much of what has happened, but my name is Anise."

"Ah! Pleased to meet you Anise. I, am Toriel… your new teacher and caretaker."

And with that, Toriel carried Anise back through the ruins, the puzzles, all the way to her cozy abode, where she would care for the human as long as she could. She would raise Anise as her own, and groom her to be the savior of the Underground.


End file.
